Historic 1897 Merced building reduced to rubble after devastating fire

A historic 19th century building has been reduced to rubble, after a fire tore through the structure in Merced earlier this week.

Merced County’s first building constructed as a high school, built in 1897 and designed by Louis Starwood Stone in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, was damaged by fire Monday morning. Demolition efforts began on the remaining parts of the structure Monday night and as of Thursday morning, the building which once stood at 2125 M Street had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Merced County Spokesperson Mike North told the Sun-Star on Tuesday, the building had been evaluated and deemed unsafe following the fire. North said it’s unknown what will happen with the site.

“Right now we’re going to demolish, level the site, remove the debris obviously, have it secured and then we’ll find out what’s going to happen with it we just don’t know at this point in time it’s too early to say,” North said.

The county’s current focus is on safety and preventing anyone from getting hurt as the building cannot be saved, according to North. The County urges people to stay a safe distance away from the site as work continues to clean up the debris.

“Stay away, stay behind the barricades, don’t get too close especially as this work is being done,” he said.

The interior of the 13,182 square-foot building was remodeled in 1921 for use by the Merced County Library before the library relocated, leaving the building vacant since the 1970s.

“It is a tragic loss for the City and County of Merced,” Chris Tomford, president of the Merced County Historical Society, said in a statement released Tuesday. “While growing up, many Merced residents had wonderful memories of the Library, especially the Children’s Library in the basement. Anytime, with the loss of such an important historical landmark, it saddens us all.”

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, recognizing both its historical and architectural significance.